CECIMO forms new committee to drive AM in Europe
The new AM committee will be chaired by Stewart Lane, the corporate manager at Renishaw
CECIMO, the European Association of the Machine Tool Industries, has announced the establishment of a new additive manufacturing committee. The newly formed committee, which will be chaired by Stewart Lane, the corporate manager at Renishaw, will become the primary platform for discussing the challenges and opportunities for AM in relation to EU policy.
CECIMO has been a major proponent for additive manufacturing technologies within Europe, working to bridge the industry with government and policymakers. The formation of the new AM committee formalizes and reinforces the association’s influential position in Europe.
In other words, any AM-related projects or announcements from CECIMO will be derived from the newly formed committee, which will become an umbrella for all of CECIMO’s activities surrounding AM, including technical, statistical, economic, business and communication.
The committee itself is expansive. According to CECIMO it will rely on over 350 organizations—including companies, research institutions, etc.—to gain broad and specialized insights into the industry. With a Europe-wide focus, the AM committee will span 15 national associations.
“The future of European industry lies in the industrialization of innovative technologies, such as Additive Manufacturing,” commented Stewart Lane, the Chairman of the AM committee. “With the creation of this committee, we are allowing all AM businesses to speak with a single, authoritative and expert voice in EU topics affecting their competitiveness, innovation and growth.”
The new committee’s mandate will take on CECIMO’s existing goals for the AM industry in Europe, namely, the industrialization of AM. This will be pursued through the establishment of a suitable EU regulatory framework, workforce development, trade and AM statistics. The committee will also continue the work of the AM Working Group, which involves CECIMO members identifying policy and business subjects for discussion.
“AM is quickly moving from prototyping to serial production in a variety of sectors,” added Filip Geerts, the Director General of CECIMO. “We are on the verge of seeing the technology’s industrial uptake in Europe. Now more than ever, it is crucial to guarantee a permanent, expert-driven dialogue with EU policymakers, in order to create a thriving ecosystem for AM. Our association has been at the forefront of this effort for a very long time. With this committee, we are renewing our dedication to this objective.”
Prior to establishing the AM committee, CECIMO laid the groundwork for the acceleration of AM within EU industry by holding AM-centric conferences and opening an important dialogue between industry and policymakers. Notably, the organization partnered with ISO to establish market-driven standards for AM in Europe and more recently launched the METALS project, a free online training course about additive manufacturing.
